Astral Projections Online November 2025
Check our Website for updated content at www.astra-nj.com
Club Presentations Wanted:
Does anyone have any astronomy items of interest to share with the membership?
Please let us know at Club Contacts.
Club dues and membership. If you renew after March 31 you will be renewed as a new member.
Membership renewal time and Elections
December is the time to start renewing your ASTRA membership for 2026.
Forms can be found on the website or here.
ASTRA Elections
It’s that time of year to start thinking about the ASTRA Board elections. Please let the current board members know if anyone is interested in running for any of the three positions: president, vice president, or treasurer. Elections will be at the December meeting. Unless there are no takers, the current board will remain in place.
President - Jim Webster
Vice-President - Vinny Illuzzi
Treasurer - Rosemarie Spedaliere
Request to the ASTRA Membership.
If you have any old ASTRA photos or videos and are willing to share them, please send them to Jim Webster.
We are working on something for the December meeting.
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS ONLINE (APO for short) is an email-linked publication for members only. If you exit APO to the club website or other resources you will need to use the emailed link again to get back to it. If you wish to retain a copy please bookmark or refer back to the email. We will make all efforts to post by the first week of the month.
Submissions Welcome: Members are invited to submit articles, photos, news, or stories for inclusion with Astral Projections Online. Please contact the ASTRA Webmaster.
Event Calendar
Event Cancellations: Members will receive email notifications of event cancellations.
Upcoming November ASTRA Meeting
Friday, November 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST at Novins Planetarium
Upcoming Public Star Parties
November 15, 2025 - Patriots Park - 6 PM
November 29, 2025 - Jake’s Branch - 6 PM
Private Star Parties
Girl Scouts Event - November 22, 2025 - Camp Amity Acres - 6 PM
Saint Barnabas Church, Bayville - December 6, 2025 - 5:30 PM
Parish annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Star Party.
Upcoming Public, County & State Park Presentations 2025
Public Outreach Presentations, if any member wishes to support ASTRA outreach efforts with the public, please let Vinny, Ro, or Jim know of any interest. Additional help for these events is always appreciated.
County and State Park presentations require a registration fee; call the hosting park to reserve.
None scheduled at this time.
Website Updates …
Please visit our club website. We continue to have additional updates, if some content would be useful to members please let us know.
“For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."
- Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch Painter
ASTRA Meeting - November 14 at 7 PM
For our November meeting at the planetarium, we will meet in the meeting room at 7 PM. We will have a guest speaker, Marc Rogoff from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Presenting Meteors and Meteorites.
Please support Novins Planetarium, patranizing their shows, who has supported us since the begining of ASTRA.
We are asking members to support our ASTRA meetings by presenting astronomy items of interest.
Please let Jim, Ro, or Vinny know.
Event Reports
For October, we were again at the mercy of the weather, and the Jakes Branch event had to be canceled.
October ASTRA Meeting Summary
We had a double feature for the October Meeting. We started with Phil Zollner's presentation of the recent Titan transit of Saturn. The next presentation was on Geometry and the shape of the Universe by Rich Brady.
Public Events and Presentations
None for October.
Members Submitted Articles & Items
Whatever it is, how you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Contact: Jim Webster, ASTRA President and Webmaster, regarding submissions.
Wilson Observatory movie mention.
The character Larry Talbot from the 1941 movie The Wolf Man stated he worked at the Mount Wilson Observatory. Mentioned at the beginning of the movie, Talbot was working on the family estate's attic telescope.
The Wilson Observatory is in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, known for its historical importance and large telescopes.
ASTRA in the news.
A local astronomy article that includes ASTRA in the Jersey Shore Magazine, pages 12 and 13.
ASTRA Member time-lapse
ASTRA Member and Treasurer, Rosemarie Spedaliere, flower opening time-lapse has made it into a Dwarflab advertisement splash. Congrats to Rosemarie.
Congratulations to Phil Zollner
Phil was recently honored at Novins Planetarium for 47 years of service. Planetarium colleagues, college staff, and members of ASTRA were on hand to celebrate this occasion with him. Congrats!
AstroMag October 2025
A free online publication for Amateur Astrophotographers.
The Moon: Our Nearest Neighbor
Let’s explore some interesting features, facts, or myths about our nearest neighbor, the Moon. Without it, life on Earth would be totally different, if not at all.
Montes Apenninus
Note: This article is AI-generated.
Montes Apenninus is a prominent lunar mountain range that forms the southeastern border of the Mare Imbrium. The range is approximately 600 kilometers long and formed about 3.9 billion years ago when the crust was uplifted during the creation of the Imbrium basin by a massive impact. The range contains some of the Moon's tallest peaks, including Mons Huygens, and is a popular feature for astrophotographers.
This image is a mosaic of photos by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, made with the Wide Angle Camera.
Formation: The Montes Apenninus was formed by the uplift of the lunar crust during the formation of the Imbrium basin, which was caused by an impact from an asteroid-sized object around 3.9 billion years ago.
Location: The mountain range separates the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) from the Mare Vaporum.
Key features:
Tallest peaks: It includes Mons Huygens, which is generally considered the tallest mountain on the Moon, rising to about 6.1 kilometers.
Other peaks: Other notable peaks include Mons Bradley and Mons Ampère.
Craters: The range is bordered by prominent craters like Eratosthenes to the south and Archimedes to the northwest.
Historical significance: The Apollo 15 mission landed near a peak called Mons Hadley, located at the northern end of the range, which has helped scientists understand how multi-ring basins form
For more on Montes Apenninus and Apollo 15, visit science.nasa.gov.
Outreach material below is distributed free for public outreach.
Astronomy for ASTRA Kids
NASA Science - Space Place - Science & Technology
For our young ASTRA members, NASA has online webpages for kids. An educational resource for fun learning and arts & crafts.
Meteor, Meteorites, and more.
Around The Web
Dark Sky News
Dark Sky New Jersey is now in discussion with Middlesex Borough and the environmental commission for another DarkSky exhibit board.
This will make three locations: Great Swamp, which is active, and two locations in the works: Middlesex and Jake’s Branch.
Latest News:
DarkSky New Jersey Sample Ordnance for New Jersey towns has been approved and released.
DarkSky New Jersey is reviewing the impact of street-lights on safety and light pollution concerns.
On the lighter side of astronomy …
As we get closer to the winter constellations, so do the images of the Orion, Horsehead, and Flame Nebula, and the Pleiades.
What’s Up:
Sky Watching Tips from NASA
Provided by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Is usually updated anywhere from the first day of the month to the fifth day of the month. Check back to this linked image if it hasn’t been updated yet.
For more go to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory webpage: What’s Up: Skywatching Tips From NASA
This article and images are distributed by NASA Night Sky Network
The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach.
Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more!
Image from NOAA
Meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle and are divided into three-month blocks on the calendar (e.g., March-May for spring), which provides a consistent way for meteorologists to track climate data. Astronomical seasons are based on the Earth's position in its orbit around the sun and are determined by solstices and equinoxes, meaning their start dates vary slightly each year.
The equinoxes mark the times when the sun passes directly above the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls on or around June 21, the winter solstice on or around December 22, the vernal or spring equinox on or around March 21, and the autumnal equinox on or around September 22. These seasons are reversed but begin on the same dates in the Southern Hemisphere.
Because Earth actually travels around the sun in 365.24 days, an extra day is needed every fourth year, creating what we know as Leap Year. This also causes the exact date of the solstices and equinoxes to vary. Additionally, the elliptical shape of Earth’s orbit around the sun causes the lengths of the astronomical seasons to vary between 89 and 93 days. These variations in season length and start date would make it very difficult to consistently compare climatological statistics for a particular season from one year to the next. Thus, the meteorological seasons were born.
The Astronomical Seasons
People have used observable periodic natural phenomena to mark time for thousands of years. The natural rotation of Earth around the sun forms the basis for the astronomical calendar, in which we define seasons with two solstices and two equinoxes. Earth’s tilt and the sun’s alignment over the equator determine both the solstices and equinoxes.
Winter is often considered the best astronomical season due to colder air, which is drier and can lead to clearer skies. Additionally, winter nights are longer, providing more viewing time, and the lack of summer haze and pollutants can improve visibility. However, spring is often called "Galaxy Season" because Earth's position in its orbit offers the best views of distant galaxies and galactic clusters.
Why winter is ideal
Longer nights: Winter's longer nights mean more time for stargazing before it gets too late, which is especially helpful for those who don't want to stay up all night.
Clearer air: Colder air holds less moisture, which can scatter light and cause haze, resulting in sharper views of celestial objects.
Less humidity: Dry winter air can improve seeing conditions compared to humid summer air, which can have a more turbulent effect on light from distant objects.
No biting bugs
Why spring is great for galaxies
Galaxy viewing: Spring is often called "Galaxy Season" because of Earth's orbital position.
Best view: The constellations that contain the most galaxies, including galactic clusters, are at their best for viewing during spring.
Challenging targets: While many galaxies will appear as faint, smudged "clouds" in smaller telescopes, they are rewarding targets for those looking for a challenge.
Other seasons and considerations
Summer: Offers comfortable weather for stargazing and is ideal for viewing the Milky Way because the Sun is farther away from it. However, summer nights are shorter and often more humid, which can reduce visibility.
Autumn: Provides a mix of viewing options and gets dark earlier, which is beneficial for those with young children.
New Moon period: The best time for observing any season is during the new moon phase when the sky is darkest and moonlight doesn't wash out fainter stars.
Comet Lemmon C/2025 A6
APO Editor: The article below is compiled from Wikipedia and NASA.
Comet Lemmon C/2025 A6
It is a non-periodic comet, discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey in images obtained on 3 January 2025. It made its closest approach to Earth on 21 October 2025. As of October 31, it’s still an easy target in New Jersey to observe with a telescope, including smart telescopes.
The above image is from ASTRA Member and Treasurer Rosemarie Spedaliere and her Dwarf 3 smart telescope Wally, who has been actively imaging the comet almost daily.
Between 15 September and 12 October 2025, observations from the Teide Observatory reveal two large spiral jets emanating from the comet, which were likely producing its dust tail as it continues to approach perihelion
The comet has an inbound orbital period of about 1,350 years, indicating a previous perihelion in the second half of the 7th century. On 8 November 2025 occurs the perihelion of the comet when it will be 0.53 AU (79 million km; 49 million mi) from the Sun.
This perihelion passage will reduce the orbital period to about 1,155 years. During the 2025 apparition, the comet approached Earth at a distance 0.596 AU (89.2 million km; 55.4 million mi), on 21 October 2025. It also approached Jupiter at a distance of 2.33 AU on 16 April 2025
Comet Lemmon, Earthsky community, images, and more. Visit: EarthSky
The Night Sky | November 2025 | Comet A6 LEMMON, the Leonids, and more. Visit YouTube: Late Night Astronomy
Let’s Explore Space
The Latest News on Astronomy and Sky Watching — By StarWalk Astronomy App - Sky Tonight
Tonight’s Sky: No longer posting
October 2024 was the last updated posting of Tonight’s Sky. It is still available via YouTube.
Linked is the twelve-month playlist on YouTube.
Any suggested replacements, let me know.
Visit the STScI which produces Hubblesite.org video overviews for Tonight’s Sky.
They can be found both on Facebook and stsci.edu.
Submissions Welcome
Members are invited to submit articles, photos, news, or stories for inclusion with Astral Projections Online. Please contact the ASTRA Webmaster.